Electric Racing Continues Both On- & Off-Road With New Paint Schemes

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When most people think of EV racing, something like Formula E or Tesla Corsa probably comes to mind. But, as EVs go mainstream, they also penetrate into all kinds of racing. Even things normally associated with combustion, like the late Ken Block’s Gymkhana videos, eventually featured EVs. During the past few weeks, we’re seeing an automaker enter EV racing which hasn’t done it before, and we’re hearing from a neat off-road racing series.

Maserati Enters The EV Racing World

In a recent press release, Maserati unveiled the livery of its Maserati Tipo Folgore Gen3 — a landmark in history, as it is the first electric racing car to ever be used by the company, and it will take part in Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

On the bustling streets of Modena, Maserati unveiled its new Tipo Folgore. Inspired by the iconic Trident blue shade, this Gen3 model is designed to embody electrifying performance, efficiency, and technology that will exceed all expectations on both track and road. The Maserati Tipo Folgore serves as an incomparable reminder of innovation stemming from racing circuit to public roads.

In 1926, the Maserati Tipo 26 raced at the Targa Florio with Alfieri Maserati as its driver and a Trident logo proudly displayed on its grill. 96 years later, that same symbol of the brand stands atop the brand new electric model called Folgore, marking a new milestone in Maserati’s journey to electrification. Maserati says the Tipo Folgore is ready to race into this brave new age while solidifying its commitment to providing nothing but top-notch performance.

The Gen3 will be the quickest and most efficient Formula E car ever, providing 600kW of regenerative power with 95% efficiency. This permits more than 40% of energy used in a race to come exclusively from regenerative braking. The innovative technology, software, and knowledge utilized in Formula E not only improves its competitiveness but also transfers over to Maserati’s high-end road cars through its upcoming Folgore range.

On January 14th, 2023, the Maserati Tipo Folgore will be raring to go as it arrives at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez City in Mexico City for its 17-race season kick off. Before hitting the starting line, Maserati says its car has been rigorously tested in Valencia, Spain, proof that only excellence is accepted when going into battle.

Cupra Reveals New Livery For Extreme E

ABT CUPRA XE is thrilled to join the 2023 Extreme E season, and has unveiled a new vibrant livery for its Tavascan XE as well as announced its driver lineup. Joining Nasser Al-Attiyah this year will be Klara Andersson, who earned an impressive podium finish in Chile last September and even led her team to victory at Energy X Prix in Uruguay November.

Klara Anderson stands by Cupra’s new Extreme E Racer. Image provided by Cupra.

Extreme E works to inspire individuals to undertake meaningful steps towards preserving the planet by staging off-road electric races in areas most vulnerable to climate change, thus demonstrating how we can prevent further disaster and champion sustainability. Extreme E is an elite motor racing competition that stands out for its commitment to gender equality by allowing mixed-gender driving teams. This aligns perfectly with CUPRA’s mission of celebrating and promoting diversity in all forms. The brand was the first automotive company to announce its participation in 2021, partnering up with ABT Sportsline as the team’s major ally. At CUPRA, it isn’t about who you are — it’s more so about your spirit, drive, and fortitude.

With the conclusion of its second successful season in which it achieved a sixth-place finish overall, ABT CUPRA XE is now looking to secure more consistent results in its third year. Experienced rally driver Nasser Al-Attiyah returns for his second term with this team; the five time Dakar winner (2011, 2015, 2019, 2022 and 2023) will be accompanied by World RX’s up and coming star Klara Andersson as they strive to achieve their goals.

For the season, ABT has presented a whole new look for its car. This multi-dimensional livery incorporates deep purple and fluorescent yellow tones to match the UrbanRebel, CUPRA GEN3 Formula E car and its e-Racer counterpart. Furthermore, this all electric off road racer is an indication of what’s to come in 2024 with its second 100% electric model — the CUPRA Tavascan produced in Barcelona that will be available worldwide.

“Our second season saw us make serious progress in terms of understanding how we work best as a team.” said Xavi Serra, Head of CUPRA Racing. “We ended the season with a run of strong results, and we’re keen to build on that. Our goals are clear: We are here to fight for the title. Adding Klara to the team provides race win experience, and I can’t wait to see both her and Nasser out competing once more.”

Want to see the new livery in person? Driven by Klara Andersson, this car will be showcased and provide show runs during Race of Champions occurring between 28th-29th January at Pite Havsbad in Sweden.

This year, CUPRA has furthered its electric racing experience by collaborating with ABT to contend in Formula E. The ABT CUPRA team commenced the 2021 Formula E season on January 14th in Mexico City and will continue at the upcoming Saudi Race on January 27th-28th.

Why This Stuff Matters

There’s an old saying in the industry: “Race on Sunday, sell on Monday.”

Not everybody watches or attends auto races, but many people do. Even people who aren’t race fans become aware of racing efforts in passing articles (like this one), commercials, and other things. People aren’t trying to buy a race car for their daily driver, but knowing that the brand can handle racing can make people feel more confident in the durability of the car. Plus, we all want to look cool, and a car that’s associated with racing is cooler than one that is not.

Plus, many modern automotive technologies that we take for granted today came from racing. Air bags, crumple zones, better brakes, and more efficient designs all have had their mettle tested at the track. Manufacturers which participate in racing can get ahead of the competition, both on and off the track.

Featured image provided by Maserati.


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Jennifer Sensiba

Jennifer Sensiba is a long time efficient vehicle enthusiast, writer, and photographer. She grew up around a transmission shop, and has been experimenting with vehicle efficiency since she was 16 and drove a Pontiac Fiero. She likes to get off the beaten path in her "Bolt EAV" and any other EVs she can get behind the wheel or handlebars of with her wife and kids. You can find her on Twitter here, Facebook here, and YouTube here.

Jennifer Sensiba has 1902 posts and counting. See all posts by Jennifer Sensiba